When a person thinks about love, they think about adoration, closeness, and protection. At other times, love can be piercing, complicated and a difficult situation from which to detach.

Unfortunately, this is the case for many men and women in the United States of America. One in four women and one in seven men have experienced or been victims of extreme physical violence, specifically by an intimate partner, or significant other (National Statistics on Domestic Violence).

Domestic violence has plagued not only our nation, but the entire world, as well. It can be seen as one of the scariest and most cruel acts upon another human being. Thanks to one survivor, the world can look at it through a kaleidoscope view, offering a new perspective: a unique perspective.

Carmen Blandin Tarleton is now 54 years old and the mother of two wonderful children. She was a victim of a vicious domestic attack in June 2007.

Her estranged husband had been accusatory towards her, leaving him angry and vengeful. He took it out on her and left her to become another statistic, but Tarleton would live to defy all adversity and odds.

Tarleton was beaten and burned by industrial strength lye, a common household cleaning product known to dissolve some items instantly, leaving 80% of her body burned and causing her to become blind and physically disfigured.

From the evening of the attack to May 2013, doctors and medical staff at Brigham and Women’s Hospital offered Tarleton comfort and satisfactory care, despite the feelings of hopelessness that loomed. In the winter months of 2013, she was offered the opportunity of a face transplant.

Tarleton believed this gift would bring an end to a chapter of her life that had lasted six long years, but the procedure was rejected. Regardless of the tricky science, she remained grateful and hopeful for the future to be in a place of comfort and adaptation.

In July 2020, Tarleton received another call, giving her the opportunity to receive a second full face transplant, along with a neck transplant. She preaches great appreciation for both of her donors and their respective families for providing her the chance at this life-changing procedure.

Tarleton’s beauty ranges from the inside to the outside, making her the perfect public figure to travel across the nation telling anyone and everyone her story.

“Many years have passed since my original injury, and I have found ways to move forward and enjoy life even more,” she said in February 2022. “A new chapter has started, and I am excited to see what life has in store for me now!”

Tarleton’s story has spread across various television shows and news features, including, but not limited to, The Today Show, CNN, and NPR Radio. She has also appeared on two European shows, as well as London’s very own This Morning show.

Her story has been written in the New York Times, USA Today, and a plethora of other print media sources. A documentary based on her story was nominated for an Emmy in 2015.

Tarleton’s story will forever be printed in history as her first novel, “Overcome: Burned, Blinded, and Blessed,” was published in 2013 and is now available on Amazon.

“I have learned so much about myself and about life and sharing it is not only a privilege but a necessity,” Tarleton said in 2013 after her first facial procedure.

Even a full 16 years after the initial incident, she has still dedicated her life to teaching those around her about the path of acceptance and forgiveness.

Tarleton travels the nation, giving peace to those who have suffered and survived similar domestic scenarios, but also providing education to those who aren’t as familiar with abuse.

Misericordia University was lucky to be one of Tarleton’s stops when she shared her personal story of surviving domestic assault and creating a world of contentment after years of impossibility on Sept. 19.